On June 11, 2021, Health and Human Services (HHS) announced revised reporting requirements and timelines for recipients of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments. The update includes expanding the amount of time providers will have to report information and extends key deadlines for spending PRF payments for those who received payments after June 30, 2020.

These newest changes impact the PRF in the following ways:

  • Rather than requiring all PRF be spent by one set date, the deadline to expend PRF monies is now based on the time period when payment was received.
  • PRF recipients must now report based on the ‘Payment Received Period’ rather than cumulatively across multiple payments distributions.
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution recipients are now required to report on use of PRF funds.
  • Recipients will now have a 90-day window to complete reporting requirements, increased from 30 days.
  • Starting July 1st, 2021, the PRF Reporting Portal will be open for data submission. The portal is currently open for registration only – CLICK HERE to access the PRF reporting portal.

Deadlines for use of funds and reporting periods:

Payment Received Period Deadline to Use Funds Reporting Time Period
Period 1 April 10, 2020 – June 30, 2020 June 30, 2021 July 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021
Period 2 July 1, 2020 – December 31-2020 December 31, 2021 January 1, 2022 – March 31, 2022
Period 3 January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 June 30, 2022 July 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022
Period 4 July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 December 31, 2022 January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023

 

CLICK HERE for HHS’s entire guidance on PRF reporting requirements, which includes the new revisions and specifics on data elements expected in the PRF reporting portal.

Along with the modified reporting requirements, HHS released accompanying revisions to their FAQ document to align with the new guidance.  Notably, HHS states that PRF recipients who are unable to spend the full amount of their PRF monies by the new deadlines will need to return the funds to HHS through the PRF reporting portal. Additional resources, such as webinars and portal instructions, are expected to be released by HHS in the upcoming weeks.

As always, ADVOCATE will continue to keep you informed on the issues impacting medical groups as they develop.

Kayley Jaquet

Manager, Regulatory Affairs